I know USC has decided to take Notre Dame off their future schedule.
And as someone who grew up in Southern California—who experienced this rivalry not just on Saturdays, but in everyday life—I can’t help but feel that loss a little more deeply.
Because this wasn’t just a game where I grew up.
It was part of the fabric.
It was the conversations at school . . . the split loyalties among friends . . . the energy in the air during rivalry week that you could feel no matter where you were.
It mattered.
And
even if USC has decided to move on, those of us who have lived it—who have felt what this rivalry meant—know that there was always something special about Notre Dame vs. USC.
Something bigger than schedules.
Something worth remembering.
And maybe that’s why this moment—this shift—feels like the right time to look back.
Lou Holtz on the Rivalry
A Rivalry Built on More Than Wins
There are rivalries in college football . . . and then there is Notre Dame vs. USC.
Two of the most storied programs in the history of the sport. A series that dates back to 1926. A rivalry that has spanned generations, coastlines, and eras of greatness.
And if you ask anyone who has lived it—from players to coaches to fans—they’ll tell you the same thing:
This one just feels different.
When Lou Holtz arrived at Notre Dame in 1986, he didn’t just inherit a football team.
He inherited a tradition.
A responsibility.
A standard.
And he knew immediately that if his program was going to return to greatness, it had to understand the importance of one game in particular.
USC.
The Test
In the video above, Coach Holtz shares something simple . . . but powerful.
Before the USC game each year, he would give his players—and even his coaches—a test.
Not a football test.
Not a game plan.
A test about the rivalry itself.
He wanted to know:
Did they understand what this game meant?
Did they understand the history?
The responsibility?
The people who came before them?
Because to Coach Holtz, if you didn’t understand that . . . you weren’t truly ready to play in it.
More Than Preparation
That’s what made Coach Holtz different.
He didn’t just prepare his teams physically.
He prepared them mentally.
He prepared them emotionally.
He prepared them to carry something bigger than themselves.
Because Notre Dame football has never just been about the moment.
It’s about the legacy.
It’s about honoring the names, the stories, and the standard that came before you—and making sure you leave it better for the ones who come next.
Why It Still Matters
Even now—even as schedules change and traditions evolve—that lesson still resonates.
Because whether it’s Notre Dame–USC . . . or anything else in life . . .
The question is the same:
Do you understand what you’re a part of?
Do you understand the history?
The responsibility?
The opportunity?
Coach Holtz believed that when you truly understand those things . . .
You show up differently.
You prepare differently.
You perform differently.
The Notre Dame Value Stream
This is what I’ve heard over and over again in the stories I’ve been blessed to collect.
From the players who lived it.
From the men who wore the jersey.
From those who learned under Coach Holtz.
The lessons stayed with them long after the final whistle.
Because at Notre Dame, the goal was never just to win a game.
It was to become something more.
“You don’t go to Notre Dame to learn something; you go to Notre Dame to be somebody.“ ~Lou Holtz
The Takeaway
And maybe that’s the real takeaway from Coach Holtz’s “test.”
It wasn’t just about USC.
It was about understanding.
About respect.
About stepping into something bigger than yourself—and being ready for it.
Because when you truly understand what something means . . .
You don’t just play the game.
You honor it.
Cheers & GO IRISH!
